Activities Awards

In order to receive an award, a participant must finish their season in good standing, including competition in the required number of contests as established by the coach, regular attendance at practice sessions, commitment to training, exhibiting good sportsmanship, and adhering to the provisions of the Discipline Policy and the principles of the Student Handbook. 

Any player who ceases to be a member of the team by reason of dismissal by the coach or school, or who voluntarily quits the squad of their own accord, forfeits their rights to receive any awards.  Any player who has been ill or injured and has failed to meet all of the requirements may, upon recommendation of the coach and/or Director of Athletics and Activities, receive a letter.

Coaches, with the approval of the Director of Athletics and Activities, will establish the specific criteria for awards for student-athletes participating in a particular sport, and will distribute the criteria to all student-athletes in writing at the beginning of the season PRIOR to the first scheduled contest.

Any questions regarding lettering requirements should be directed to the head varsity coach of that sport.

Download an order form for a BSM Letter Jacket. Return the completed form Wendy Jacobsen-Gretsch to mwjacobsen@comcast.net or fax to Judy Koski (952-926-5764)

Athletic Fees

Athletic participation fees are charged in most sports. All students will be charged a $50 co-curricular activity fee. Additionally, students participating in athletic programs and other select activities will be billed an additional Participation Fee, $200.00 per season for High School and $100 per season for Jr. High. Finally, hockey ($800), swimming ($200) and golf ($200) players are assessed an Additional Fee. These fees are not new to these co-curriculars. An additional fee is charged for these particular activities that utilize external facilities.

The annual co-curricular fee ($50) will be assessed to all students at the beginning of the school year. The seasonal fee will be assessed each season, after rosters have been finalized. The fees will be charged in the same way as all other fees, through Tuition Management.

Additional information about the fee structure and rationale is available on the BSM website

Attendance

The following are the daily attendance expectations in order for students to participate in co-curricular activities:

• In the event there is a half or partial day of school, students must be in attendance the entire school day. 
• Students must be in attendance for 50% of a school day (Block Day: 2 of 4 classes or Regular Day: 4 of 8 classes) to participate in co-curricular activities. 
• Students who are released from school through Health Services are ineligible to participate in co-curricular activity for that day.

*Exceptions to the above may be made if the student has a medical appointment, driver’s license exam or other pre-approved essential appointment made during school hours. Granting an exception requires the student to provide documentation from the doctor’s office or the Driver Exam Station, with “time in and time out” from the appointment. 

Students involved in activities which have evening performances (e.g., band, drama, sports, student council, etc.) are not excused from any classes on the following morning. Students who sleep in and miss classes will receive unexcused absences for all classes missed. 

Students with a doctor/dentist appointment the morning after a performance must bring a note from the doctor/dentist in order to excuse the absence. The note must include a “time in and time out.”

Captains

Each coach may determine the method for selecting varsity team captains. The criteria should be stated and given to each team member. A team is not required to select a captain or captains. A student should realize that being a captain is a privilege and therefore requires work and dedication. 

The following standards for leadership positions apply: 

• Any students who have a chemical violation during their high school career will lose their position of leadership during the school year of the violation and will not be eligible for positions of leadership the following year. The “year” is defined as the 12-month period that begins on the first day after the violation and will continue for a rolling 12-month period.
• Students with two or more chemical violations, or out of school suspensions (totaling 7 class hours), and/or failing or non-passing grades cannot hold the position of leadership on teams and activities. 
• Any student who has been named a team captain and receives a violation, or suspension, and/or failing or non-passing grade, within the defined school year, may have their captaincy revoked. 
• A student who receives a suspension may have their position of leadership revoked. The coach and Director of Athletics and Activities will review each case individually. 
• Each individual program within the school is required to follow these guidelines, however, the head coach or moderator has the right to exceed these guidelines. 

All final captain selections must be approved by the Director of Athletics and Activities.

Communication with Parents/Guardians

The relationship between parents/guardians and coach is vital to making the experience of each student-athlete as positive and beneficial as possible. This relationship must be built on respect, trust, and have the same priority that puts the student first. Parents/guardians have a right to understand what expectations are placed on their family. This begins with clear communication from the coach of their child’s program.  

Weekly Emails

During the first week of the season, coaches should prepare a thorough letter to parents/guardians that clearly indicates their expectations, guidelines, and all other information pertinent to their team. Every following Sunday the coaches will send an email that provides families with important announcements and a link to their schedule.  

Preseason Meeting for Parent/Guardian/Student-Athletes

All student-athletes and parents/guardians are expected to attend the preseason meeting, as scheduled by the Head Coach. Additional parent/student meetings may be scheduled throughout the year by the Activities Department and/or team coaches. These meetings aim to ensure clear communication of team policies, expectations and procedures, and students and parents/guardians are expected to attend these meetings. 

Communication Parents/Guardians Should Expect From Their Child’s Coach: 

• Philosophy of the coach 
• Expectations the coach has for the team, including their child 
• Locations and times of all practices and contests 
• Team requirements 
• Procedure should your child be injured during practices or games 
• Discipline that results in the denial of your child’s participation 

Communication Coaches Expect From Parents/Guardians: 

• Concerns expressed directly to the coach 
• Notification of any schedule conflicts well in advance 
• Specific concerns regarding a coach’s philosophy and or expectations 
• Appropriate Concerns To Discuss With Coaches 
• Ways to help your child improve 
• The treatment of your child, mentally and physically 
• Concerns about your child’s behavior 

Issues Not Appropriate To Discuss With Coaches: 

• Playing time 
• Team position 
• Team strategy 
• Play calling 
• Other student-athletes 

The nature of high school activities can be very emotional for everyone involved. The highs and lows of wins and losses are part of why we love it! However, that same emotion can be an obstacle to the healthy conversations that must take place throughout the season. It is activities department policy that parents/guardians wanting to communicate with coaches after a competition wait a minimum of 24 hours before reaching out to a coach. This is in the best interest of parents/guardians and coaches to ensure calm productive conversations.

Cut Policy and Team Placement

Coming Soon

Practice During School Vacation Times

High School athletic teams often practice during school vacation times. The amount of involvement varies with each sport but is often essential to maintain the team’s ability to compete. An athlete must communicate with the coach of his sport to understand expectations and training required. This is the athlete’s responsibility! 

Benilde-St. Margaret’s School supports the need for athletes and their families to take vacations at various times of the year, but practices and contests should be considered when making vacation arrangements.  A student who misses practice during an official school vacation will be less prepared than their teammates and could thus lose playing time and a starting position. We expect all students whose teams reach the state tournament level to participate. 

As families make vacation plans, please bear in mind that mandatory practices may be held during a break for students interested in playing on varsity teams during the following season.

Throughout the year, varying with each sport, there are Saturday practices and Saturday games/meets. Holiday practices or meetings are discouraged, but on rare occasions will take place. Sunday practices are prohibited by the MSHSL.

Please keep in mind:

• A coach must be physically present at all practices and games, not merely on the grounds or somewhere else in the building;
• Students will be released as scheduled;
• It’s the athlete’s responsibility to report any absences;
• Coaches are required to keep and record attendance at both games and practices;
• Interscholastic scrimmages may be conducted only on the high school level, within all applicable MSHSL regulations, and require prior approval of the  director of athletics and activities;
• High School pre-season practices will vary in length depending upon seasons and most in season practices will be limited to approximately two hours; coaches are encouraged to taper practice lengths to one- and one-half hours by the midpoint of each season;
• Any changes in practice schedules must be reported to the athletic administrative assistant, the athletic trainers, director of athletics and activities and parents/guardians via email;
• Coaches are required to have a cell phone present at practice in order to communicate with the Athletics Department and athletic trainer;
• The team is required to ensure that all equipment is stowed after practice, that the practice space is free of debris, and that all students have left the locker room or other gathering space. 

Are you interested in connecting with an BSM coach or a member of our Athletics Leadership Team?

Please complete this Prospective Participant Inquiry form and a member of our team will follow up shortly.

Go Red Knights!